Battles Rage Across Donetsk Oblast as Ceasefire Looms

Ukraine’s volunteer Azov Battalion continued its offensive to recapture communities near to the rebel-held town of Novoazovsk on February 14, by launching an attack on the village of Shyrokyne, situated almost halfway between Novoazovsk and the embattled government-held town of Mariupol.

Battles raged despite a ceasefire agreed by the ‘Norman Quartet’, namely Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, that was due to come into effect at midnight on February 14.

This footage, described as being taken during the battle for Shyrokyne on February 14, shows the a plume of smoke rising above the community. The Azov Battalion said it was due to successful fire at a separatist tank. Credit: YouTube/Azov Battalion